


nobody expects Michael Palin

by coffeesuperhero



Category: Doctor Who RPF
Genre: Gen, Yuletide 2011
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-28
Updated: 2011-11-28
Packaged: 2017-10-26 15:41:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/284984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeesuperhero/pseuds/coffeesuperhero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matt Smith takes a tumble at Dragon*Con. Hilarity ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	nobody expects Michael Palin

**Author's Note:**

  * For [such_heights](https://archiveofourown.org/users/such_heights/gifts).



> This story is entirely ridiculous and involves Matt Smith falling, much to the amusement of his friends and others. No cosplayers were harmed in the writing of this story. My apologies to every single person appearing in this silly thing. [Also, just a note re: Twitter: I know that some of these folks have actual Twitter accounts, but I didn't use them, because I figured I was putting enough words in their mouths already. ;)]
> 
> Special thanks to the Candy Squad, without whom this story would never have seen the warm glow of the Internet.

_Excerpt from KnowYourMeme.com_

 _  
**That Awkward Moment When...The Doctor Destroys Your Costume**   
_

> Though "That Awkward Moment When" is a meme all by itself, this particular version became quite popular on Tumblr after this year's Dragon*Con, a fan-run Sci-Fi/Fantasy convention held annually in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America. The meme alludes to an incident in the Walk of Fame, in which Matt Smith, who plays the Eleventh Doctor on BBC's popular series "Doctor Who," and who is widely understood to be rather clumsy, accidentally caused a chain reaction of falling guests and cosplayers.
> 
> Fortunately, no one was injured, though after several angry cosplayers tweeted and posted about the event on their LiveJournals, the incident did spawn its own meme.
> 
>  _Entry last edited 5 September 2012._  
> 

\+ + + +

It's oppressively hot in Atlanta when they arrive and make their way to the hotel. It's Thursday evening, and there aren't as many people in costume wandering around as they have been informed there will be, but they decide to take a bit of a stroll all the same, three adventurers out to explore the wilds of Dragon*Con, or something ridiculous like that.

Karen and Arthur are, of course, taking bets on how long it will take for Matt to stumble over someone's costume and do himself an injury.

"I'm not _that_ clumsy," he grumbles, when he overhears them discussing it, whereupon he promptly trips over a split in the walkway and falls directly into the furry arms of what appears to be a steampunk Chewbacca, who makes an inquiring Wookie noise and pats him on the shoulder after setting him to rights. "Thanks ever so much," he says politely, and the Wookie makes the peace sign at him and wanders away.

"You were saying?" Arthur asks, and he makes a face at both of them.

"Honest mistake, could have happened to anyone," he says, resisting the urge to stick his tongue out at Karen, who is, of course, still laughing.

Arthur checks his watch. "We've haven't even been in the building for an hour yet."

"So who won the bet?" Karen asks.

"I think it was Mark," Arthur says, frowning thoughtfully. He pushes his lucky hat up a bit further on his head. "Possibly Alex."

"Alex would never," Matt insists, but Arthur's already texting her.

"Oh, that was snappy. She says, 'Sorry, Dad, but I think you had me down for six hours,'" he says, reading the text aloud. He holds up his mobile. "Look, she's even signed it with a kiss."

"Betrayed!" Matt cries theatrically, and very narrowly avoids running into a door. He spins around to face the other two. "Shut up!"

Arthur's phone makes a roaring sound.

"I still can't believe that your text tone is a dinosaur from Jurassic Park," Matt says, but Arthur ignores him.

"Alex again. It _was_ Mark," Arthur says, mostly to Karen. Matt leans over his shoulder, trying to read the text. "I should tell him that he's won."

"Yeah, and tell him we'll pay up after the panel tomorrow," Karen says. She shoves playfully at Matt. "There was quite a bit of money in that pool."

"He says we should give it away. All he wanted was a bottle of Pellegrino and the satisfaction of knowing he was right," Arthur reminds her.

"I'm glad to know I've taken a fall for a good cause," Matt says.

\+ + + +

 _Excerpt from Dragon-con.livejournal.com_

 **That Awkward Moment When The Doctor Destroys Your Costume**

Anybody else end up in the pile in the Walk of Fame after Matt Smith fell over? I can't believe one person could cause that much trouble. I heard he took out some other actor's entire table on his way down, but I don't know if that's true. All I saw was the guy dressed like Johnny Depp from Pirates, falling on me. (Really awesome costume, btw. Don't know who you were, but I was a little preoccupied at the time, lol!)

I'm glad nobody got hurt, although I am irritated that my costume was damaged. Matt Smith was pretty nice about it, though. I wish I'd been cosplaying as River Song that day! :D

Still, I guess not many people can say that the Doctor destroyed their costume, lol. I posted some pics my girlfriend took of The Incident behind the cut-- everybody's in a pretty big jumble so it's kind of like Celebrity Where's Waldo, lol, but so far I think we've found Matt Smith, Arthur Darvill, Kandyse McClure, and Michael Palin. If you spot anybody else let us know haha.

Hope everybody had a great Con!

\+ + + +  
 _Excerpt from: Twitterfeeds, various_

 **MichaelPalin** Rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated. #DoctorDestroysDragonCon  
now

 **TomFelton** @KGill I'm two tables down, caught the whole thing on video! YouTube sensation in three...two...one...  
one minute ago

 **DoctorWhoPropDept** THIS RT @Suefromcatering Bless, it wouldn't be the first time he's done something like that #DoctorDestroysDragonCon  
two minutes ago

 **AlexKingston** RT @Suefromcatering Bless, it wouldn't be the first time he's done something like that #DoctorDestroysDragonCon  
three minutes ago

 **Suefromcatering** Bless, it wouldn't be the first time he's done something like that #DoctorDestroysDragonCon  
three minutes ago

 **GDL** @Moffat @Gattis PICS. IT HAPPENED. #DoctorDestroysDragonCon http://t.cot//fi...  
three minutes ago

 **GDL** @Barrowman @Tennant I hate both of you so much right now  
four minutes ago

 **Tennant** @Barrowman @GDL No, but nobody has your cachet ;)  
five minutes ago

 **Barrowman** @Tennant @GDL Good plan, but "Smiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiith" doesn't really have the same cachet, does it?  
five minutes ago

 **Tennant** @GDL Find a camera, shake your fist at it, and say, "Smiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiith." #Barrowmaaaaaaaaaaaaan  
five minutes ago

 **GDL** Seriously though, what the fuck, Smith. #DoctorDestroysDragonCon  
six minutes ago

 **GDL** #ThatWasAJoke #MoffatIAmAvailable #SherlockNeedsAButler #IHaveExperienceInThatRole #TypecastMePlease  
seven minutes ago

 **GDL** For fuck's sake, Matt Smith just destroyed my table in the Walk of Fame. #DoctorDestroysDragonCon #DoctorWhoIsRuiningMyLife  
seven minutes ago

 **KGill** @Moffat @Gattis laughing too hard to take pics right now!!!!!  
eight minutes ago

 **Gattis** My thoughts exactly. RT @Moffat @KGill In the parlance of our times: pics or it didn't happen.  
eight minutes ago

 **Moffat** @KGill In the parlance of our times: pics or it didn't happen.  
eight minutes ago

 **KGill** @AlexKingston He fell over, took out a table, I think he just destroyed Dragon*Con, lololololol  
nine minutes ago

 **AlexKingston** @KGill Dare I ask? What has he done now?  
nine minutes ago

 **KGill** LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL OMG SMITH WHAT DID YOU DO  
ten minutes ago

\+ + + +  
On Friday afternoon, they're supposed to sign autographs in the Walk of Fame. They ditch their handlers and go early that morning to scope it all out and see who else is about.

Matt wanders away briefly to bother Mark Sheppard, and Karen and Arthur are left to meander the room on their own.

"Oh my god," Karen says, suddenly, reaching around to grab at the sleeve of Arthur's favorite ugly jumper, which he had worn because it had been so bloody cold in the hotel earlier. "It's Michael Palin."

"What?" Arthur says. He looks at her, utterly confused, "Why is my cat here? Who brought him?"

"No, moron," she says, still gripping his sleeve. " _Michael Palin._ "

"I heard you the first time, there's no need to shout," he retorts. "I'm not falling for this one, this is the same as yesterday in the pub, when you tried to tell me that--"

"Arthur, seriously, I'm not having you on!" She jabs her finger towards the back of the room. "It really is Michael Palin!"

"Oh, come _on_ , Kaz, man," Matt interjects, stepping back into the conversation, "that's not even a good effort. Why would Arthur's cat be here? This is a personal low for you, really, your pranks are so bad it's legendary, but this one is hugely ridiculous."

He swings his arms widely in an effort to make his point, but he overestimates both the span of his flailing arms and the proximity of the nearest bystander, who is, as bad luck would have it, Michael Palin. He had strolled over to say hello after noticing Karen's gesticulations, but Matt's ill-timed flail pushes him directly into a young lady who is cosplaying as the TARDIS. The poor cosplayer, who has no earthly idea what is happening, tries to shove him off in an effort to keep him from destroying her costume. Matt, trying desperately to keep upright, grabs onto them, but the laws of gravity are cruel and unforgiving, and he collapses right along with them. On the way down, Matt latches onto the closest other thing he can find, which happens to be the nearest actor's table.

Unfortunately, the unwieldy TARDIS cosplayer upsets the balance of a nearby Iron Man, who also attempts to grab the table for support. The table flips, leaving a very surprised Gareth David-Lloyd, who had been innocently signing autographs mere moments before, without anything to sign or even a table at which to sign it. Photos of Ianto Jones drift down onto a chain reaction of falling cosplayers, innocent bystanders all.

Congoers who witnessed the event would describe it later for the internet as a fiasco on par with the Great Atrium Ballroom Queue Cockup of 2009. By the end of it all, there's a small heap of guests and congoers in the middle of the floor, surrounded by pictures of Gareth David-Lloyd.

Several tables away, Tom Felton appears to be filming the entire kerfuffle with his iPhone, and Karen is laughing so hard she can barely stand.

Cosplayers slowly begin to extricate themselves from the jumble. Many of them are more than a little disgruntled, but once they begin to realize that the Doctor has just knocked them all over, there seem to be more smiles than not.

A few minutes later, from the middle of the pile comes a muffled oath and then a preemptive, "Shut up, Kaz!" It is, of course, far too late for this exhortation: Karen is still laughing, and so is Arthur, at least until he realizes that Karen had not been putting him on, moments before, which Arthur finally realizes after the familiar face of his favorite actor emerges from behind a Slave Leia.

"Oh my god, you've killed Michael Palin," Arthur says, which of course only makes Karen laugh harder. "It's not funny!"

He wades carefully through grumbling cosplayers, attempting to help Michael Palin to his feet.

"Oh my god, oh my god, Smith, if you've harmed Michael Palin, I'm never speaking to you again," Arthur says, offering Michael Palin his hand.

Meanwhile, Matt, who has finally gotten off the floor, continues to flail about uselessly, all the while profusely apologising everyone in sight, babbling, "I'm sorry, I am so, so very sorry, just don't always know where my arms are-- not like that, shut up Kaz-- I am really so terribly sorry."

After all is said and done, no cosplayers have been harmed, though a few costumes were bent a bit beyond immediate repair.

"Mister Palin, I am so incredibly sorry about my friend," Arthur says, shaking Michael Palin's hand. "He's always falling all over himself everywhere, but he's never done anything quite on this scale before, and certainly I'm sure he didn't mean to strike you."

"Of course I didn't," Matt says. "I didn't expect anyone to be standing there, I am so very sorry."

"It's quite all right," Michael says, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Nobody expects Michael Palin!"

Fin.


End file.
